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Simple Trick for Filling Holes in Hardwood

Learn a simple technique for filling voids in hardwood with dyed epoxy.

Cherry is one of the most popular hardwoods for furniture projects—because it’s beautiful, and easy to work with sharp tools. But often times, a woodworker finds the perfect board for a furniture component, only to find that it has a particularly large pitch pocket that might be bothersome to most craftsmen/women. These small occlusions form in areas where pitch had deposited within the wood over time. They usually show up as black holes that need to be filled. You can tackle this job using tinted epoxy quite easily. Here’s how it works.

First things first: you’ll need a two-part epoxy, some powdered dye, and a well sharpened card scraper. Begin by mixing a small batch of epoxy, and then add a pinch of black dye (mix it well). Now it’s just a matter of filling the hole. Small holes can be filled in one pass, but for deeper holes, be sure to use a couple of thin applications of epoxy to ensure proper curing. Your goal is to fill the hole and have the epoxy sit just a slightly proud of the surface of the wood.

Once the epoxy has fully cured, usually about 8 hours, you can come back and use a card scraper to bring it flush with the wood. After that, just carry out your normal finishing process. You’ll be left with a repair that highlights the irregular shape of the pitch pocket, making for a nice visual effect.

How to Fill Voids in Wood with Epoxy

1) Begin by mixing the two-part epoxy

2) Tint epoxy with a powdered dye

3) Fill the hole

4) Scrape epoxy flush with surface

The Final Result

After scraping, you can go ahead and carry out any of the normal sanding or other prep work before finishing. With the finish applied, the black epoxy takes on a very deep, rich look. It's an easy repair to make, and one that highlights the woods natural defects.